


I Volunteer - Finnick Odair - Hunger Games

by Crissylight



Series: No Matter What. [1]
Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: Altered Mental States, Anxiety Disorder, Character Death, Depression, Eventual Smut, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Healing, Major Character Injury, Major Illness, Mental Anguish, Mental Breakdown, Mental Health Issues, Multi, Nightmares, One Night Stands, Other, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Separation Anxiety, Slow Burn, Trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-13 23:46:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,844
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29659155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crissylight/pseuds/Crissylight
Summary: Ariel Maesa is a career tribute from district 4. She had spent many years training for the games, with no plan of ever going into them, her training just a precaution. At the age of 17, she volunteers for the 69th Hunger Games, to protect Annie, a close friend from the docks, and a girl Ariel is sure could never win, but can she win herself?(Finnick x oc) (Annie x oc) (Annie x Finnick)A lot of confusing feelings in this slowburn, trauma filled fanfic.I will update twice a week at least.
Relationships: Annie Cresta/Finnick Odair, Annie Cresta/Original Character(s), Finnick Odair/Original Female Character(s)
Series: No Matter What. [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2179485
Kudos: 3





	I Volunteer - Finnick Odair - Hunger Games

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first proper fanfic, I hope it is ok, if anyone has any suggestions, please keep them nice.

"Annie!" I scream as I watch her on a familiar screen. Gill had just had his head cut off, and Annie was frozen, if she didn't run she would die, but what could I do? I was stuck back in district 4, watching through a screen, helpless.

_I watch as the boy wielding the sword sword that had just took off Gill's head walked towards Annie._

_"I hope you are ready to die, you're body shouldn't miss your pretty little head too much." The boy teases, but Annie still doesn't move._

_I want to jump into the screen, and rip the boy into pieces, kill him slowly, make sure he was hurt and he knew how it felt, I want to hurt this boy, but not just him, I want to hurt the capital, for putting Annie there and through this, I want to kill them, every last one of them. Because if Annie doesn't deserve to win and live, then I know none of them do._

_I want to look away but I can't, I feel like I am choking, like I was Gill, and had just lost my head, like if Annie died here, I would be dead myself, and my eyes are glued on the screen as the sword is brought down towards Annie's head......_

~*~

I hear a scream as my eyes open. My heart is beating out of my chest and I am soaked in sweat, as my head spins like the old carousel in the square, it is down trod though, and I have only ever seen it run once, 5 years ago when Finnick Odair came back a victor.

This thought helps my mind settle and me realize I am awake, and Annie is very much alive, for now at least.

"Ariel, are you ok?" I hear a deep voice say as my door opens, my dad stood there, still in his pj's and his red hair, one of the traits I got from him, was in a tangled mess on his head.

"Yes, I'm fine, just a nightmare, with the reaping being today and all......." I let my voice drift off and his face warms as he gives me a soft smile.

"I understand, but you'll be ok. You're mother is starting breakfast now, make sure you are ready for the reaping by 2." My father closed the door and with the click I was left to my thoughts.

My legs were tingling as I slowly stood up and attempted to use them, but they felt like they were made out of jello, with thousands of little tacks stuck in it, and nerves still present enough that my brain translates the pain, so, as I tried to walk, I found myself trying to stay on my feet as I walked through the hallway to the bathroom.

Our shower would only dispense cold water most of the time, straight from the sea, not safe to drink, but, was successful in making us smell like the sea even if we hadn't been in it that day, and the sea, is home.

As I step into the shower, I make sure to make it quick, scrubbing off the sweat from the dream and cleaning my hair, but I don't wish to stay in long, I knew if I was even a minute late to the sign in, the peacekeepers would not hesitate to make a example out of me. Shoot me in the head there and then, or whip me until I am barely hanging onto life. All real things that could happen, and all real worries that fly around my head.

The peacekeepers here in 4, let's just say they are not peaceful. If you miss a shift, steal something, so much as look at them the wrong way, you would likely end up with either a beating, or, for worse crimes, shot or hung at the gallows.

That is when my mind turns to the thoughts going through my head during the dream, the rebellious and treasonous thoughts I had at the thought of Annie's death, and what the peacekeepers would do if they ever knew.... but still, I would rather die than live through anything like that again, even if it was just a dream, it was a horrible dream.

A sigh leaves my throat as I turn off the water and step out of the shower, quickly towelling myself dry and throwing on my dress, it is white and makes me seem younger than I am, but I have always had a baby face, at 17 I could pass for 14 if I wanted to, chubby cheeks and only 5 foot 4 in height, if I don't show off what curves I have, I look young, and I only show off those curves when I have to train and work.

In training sometimes there are minimal clothes, and at work, I find myself in my bathing suit a lot, as half my job is to untangle fishing nets and take a trident as I observe underwater.

The white dress falls down to my knees and flows when I walk like there is a constant breeze. My mother used to call it magical. I slip on my sandles and brush through my hair, soon leaving the room, but not before throwing my locket around my neck.

"Ariel, I have to stop at the docks before we go to the reaping and I want to walk with you, please hurry up!" My father calls, as I run down the stairs to the dining room/kitchen.

"I'm here, sorry." I say, taking a seat at the table, where my mother puts down some shrimp, I am surprised we managed to afford it.

"Don't worry, it wasn't stolen, it's a reaping gift." My mother said as she sat at the table, and we silently started to eat, but the tense atmosphere was driving me insane, we knew my chances of getting drawn were low, and I had trained, but still, no one wanted to see what would become of me if I went in.

"I'm not going to get reaped, and there is only one year after this, we will be fine." I say, as I finish another piece of the sea creature, which, I learnt in class, was once considered low class food, but it was far from that now.

"You're right sweetheart, but it is normal for parents to worry" My mother says, as she walks behind me and quickly throws my hair into a braid and pins it up. "There, you're ready." My mother kissed my cheek as my father stood up.

"I will see you after the reaping mom, no matter what" I say, as I stand up with my father, who leads the way, through the rest of our smaller home, and we leave.

The sun is the first thing I notice, as I blink quickly to keep my eyes from being blinded, and next is the chirping of the birds, not the beautiful singing I would hear closer to the heart of the district, but of loud seagulls, who would circle around the peers, hoping to steal a fish or other kind of food from one of the fishermen.

"What do we need to grab from the docks?" I ask my father, as we begin the annual walk to the docks. We take it every year, to give me my reaping gift, and so I can see the ocean one last time if I am reaped.

"You're reaping present of course" My father says, his face glowing. "I hope you brought your locket."

"Of course." I say, and then the walk continues in silence, without either of us saying a word, just taking in the silence and the sun and the sound of the birds flying around the marina, which after maybe 3 minutes came into view, and the smell of fish was strong, tingy and, if you weren't used to it would likely make you sick, but I am very much used to it.

It took no time for us to get from the entrance to the marina to my father's fishing boat, where without a word he handed me a small package, and put it in my dress pocket.

"Only open it if you go in." He said this every year, I will get it either when I go into the games, or when I am finished with my last reaping.

"Of course." I have also wondered what was in the small cloth, but, to this day I have no clue, and I have no time to ask as I hear a voice.

"Ariel!" A girl, a beautiful girl, with a shade of red hair, that was more red than mine, a face I had seen today, only, dead.

"Annie!" I call as I run to meet up with her and pull her into a hug as we both laugh, and my heart picks up pace, which as always I ignore, it means nothing I'm sure.

"I was hoping to find you here, I wanted to see you before the reaping just in case....." I nod, understanding, but neither of us wanting to say the words, I still can't imagine her entering the games, and I have no clue what I would do, she was my best friend, my closes confidant, the person I told everything to. I feel something towards her that I have never felt towards anyone else, but, I have never explored how deep that goes, nor do I want to, I just want to live a quiet safe life.

"Have fun girls, I will see you after the reaping." My father laughed as he left the marina, likely to go see mom, and make sure she wasn't worrying herself to death.

As he walks away, Annie and I let go of eachother, and simply start walking along the beach, our eyes looking out towards it. That is when I finally ask it.

"What would you do if you were ever reaped?" I ask Annie, the uneasy question breaking the silence, and making a grim possible reality come to view.

Despite being a career district, district 4 is considered the weaker, and many of our kids are simply trained, but not wanting to jump into the games.

"Well, I suppose I would hope someone would volunteer to take my spot, I'm not much of a fighter." Annies voice was soft and innocent as she spoke, making the not a fighter point stick out more. If there was one clear irony, you would see it looking at me and Annie, while, Annie did not look like a fighter, she certainly looked more capable than me, but if one of us was deadly enough to win, it was me. "What about you?" She asked me.

"I would fight, and I would win, so I could come back, to mom, dad, and you." I say, looking towards my feet, and my thoughts drift, to what I dream my life could be, if things were different.

Suddenly I hear a loud humming and me and annie both look to the street, seeing the familiar peacekeeper cars, and I know, as does she, it is reaping time, and we need to leave now or risk being late.

"Annie." I say grabbing her hand before we go. "If you get reaped, no matter what, don't be afraid." I tell her, giving her a smile, that she returns, before I let go of her hand and we both make our way towards the square in the now crowded district, as kids and adults head towards the square, so they would be ready for the reaping, it was close, so close.

I find myself losing Annie in the group of kids that consume us, but I know it doesn't matter at the moment, we were safe, as long as we didn't get picked.

I find myself so lost I don't even realise my finger being pricked and me signed in until I fer the sharp poke or the needle, and see the blood used for my finger print.

The capital sure loved to waste our blood.

The group of 17 year old girls is my next stop, as I join the group, and still no sign of Annie, I have no idea where she went, but I was sure I would find her after the reaping, now was not the time or place to look for her, now was time to focus on the reaping.

The anthem of Panem starts to play, as the stage fills, first with our mayor, and government officials, the former who walks to the mic, and soon the anthem is finished for now, as the mayor introduces our victors, and escort to the stage.

Our escort is named Octavia, she has blue hair, styled in the weirdest curls I have seen, and a dress covered in fish, I suppose this was supposed to show district spirit, but I just find myself hoping the fish were fake, and it wasn't a waste of the produce we worked our backs off to get for them.

Next are our victors, we have a few, but only 2 ever stick out to me, the two that have been mentoring for the past 5 years together, Mags and Finnick Odair.

Mags is a kind old lady, I met her in the beach a couple times, although Finnick is the only person she really talks too, for some reason. She was the victor of the 11th games, and her victor status is what allows her to be one of the few people in district 4 left, who were alive during the dark days, before the hunger games.

Then there was Finnick Odair, pride of district 4 and newest victor, he won the 65th Hunger Games at 14, and, now at 19, he was stupidly attractive, and me and Annie would both admit, without feeling any guilt that we had talked about him a couple times, mainly during our less busy shifts and breaks during training.

Octavia then takes the mic, and I'm not really listening at this point, as she gets the video played, the same one that has been played sense Finnick won his games, the same one that has been played sense my first eligable reaping, nothing really changes when it comes to the reaping, the capital likes to keep things familiar to us, as if we were animals and this was how they kept us calm and in place.

As soon as the video is done, she talks about what a honor it is to be the escort of district 4 and how excited she is for another games, and then she walks to the bowl full of the girls name, and there is two thoughts going through my head.

"Please don't pick me" and "Please don't pick Annie"

So, naturally, the next two words that leave her mouth do nothing more than taunt me.

"Annie Cresta." 

I see Annie start to walk up and the next thing I do, brings a broad sense of Deja vu, as I shove my way out of the group of girls without thinking, 

"Annie!" I basically scream, and I see Annie turn to face me, and I have no idea what I'm doing now, it's not like I can save her, I have to make this up as I go.

"No Annie don't.........' My mind is reeling as I feel peacekeepers forcefully grab me, and I know I only have a couple seconds if I want to save her life.

"I volunteer as tribute!" I say, my voice still full of panic, but, this causes the peacekeepers to realise me, and guide me towards the front once Octavia nods, still in shock.

District 4 saw many volunteers but none usually went like this, and I am mentally kicking myself for it, this was not how a career volunteered, I already look weak, and this moment maybe what kills me.

I look to Annie, as the world moves in slow motion, and I can see the tears in her eyes, but all I care is she is alive and the dream will not come true, so as we go to pass her, I stop and give her a smile, hoping my eyes can carry the message. 

_'If you get reaped, no matter what, don't be afraid.'_

I am sure it does, as she kisses my cheek and then, lets herself get guided back to the place for her to stand, and then I look back to the front, where, I see Octavia, still confused, Mags, she had the same understanding look she always had, as for Finnick, no one can ever read him.

I am soon on stage, and facing district 4, and after the scene I made, I make sure to put my est confident career smirk on my face, hoping to fool the people of the capital, as I am asked for my name.

"Ariel, Ariel Maesa."


End file.
